In the summer I wear water shoes/river shoes whatever you want to call them, thin soles open weave cloth uppers, same as the 5 fingers without the toes....

they don't really seem to offer anything more than "hey, those are neat" comments.

When I say I wear them in the summer, I mean I wear them all summer, as soon as it hits about 45 degrees and snow starts melting I dig them out and that's what I wear.
The only time I don't have them on is when I have to 'dress up' or when I ride the motorcycle, then I keep them in the saddle bag and change when I get where I'm going.
Used to wear moccasins, but it got so getting good moccasin leather wasn't so easy any more, that coupled with time constraints, concrete, and the availability of water shoes lead to the switch. (but roughout conveyor belt material makes nice moccasin soles for urban use)

I prefer deck shoes or sandals. I have old feet and I like more support and protection.

But my 16-year old daughter LOVES them. Of course, there could be a fashion component, but that isn't all of it. She is very agile with them. I tried them (same shoes size) and I believe I would like them very much on a beach cat. But there is NO arch support.

I have friend that really likes his but can't rationalize the expense for a pair of slippers, I could buy better sailing shoes than I own for that much money. Vibram is a well known company of hiking boot rubber. I think the rubber only comes in black though, not sure I would want those on deck.

Jordan, the come in many colors from at least two different companies.

And Vibram got world-famous for "non marking rubber soles". Their patented material DOES NOT LEAVE SCUFF MARKS, which is one reason people pay extra for the Vibram brand name.

If they get damp, any dirt which is on them transfers off, so sometimes Vibram boots will leave "black marks" but they are never scuff marks, they are plain old fashioned dirt that wipes right off. The same that any dirty shoes would leave behind.

These shoes are all the rage, for athletes, and because of that have become a fad of sorts. If you buy them just for the ship, then I would say not worth it. But as an owner of some, and an athlete, I will tell you the tremendous advantage that I have gained in my feet strength. Unfortunately with shoes, we weaken our feet and we forget that when we were kids and we ran around barefooted, it was natural and we had strong feet and toes. Trust me, run in these shoes for a little while, and you will realize how weak your toes are. Anyway, these are great shoes on and off ship, plus when you dive in (or fall ) they can get wet and are awesome in the water. But as with all shoes, they have that nasty tendency to get smelly fast. Vibram has addressed that and created socks for it.
Hope this helps.

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